Driving in the UK

There are some things you should know before hitting the roads of this green and pleasant land. Here are some simple rules on driving

These top tips for driving in the UK are courtesy of HIC Insurance, specialists in providing motor insurance cover for overseas visitors. The broker provides bespoke policies under its Walkabout scheme for travellers visiting the UK and Europe, including special short-term rates, cover for those with overseas driving licences, or travellers with no fixed address.

Here are some must-know information on the idiosyncrasies of driving on UK roads.

1. Driving licences – as long as you have a valid full licence in your home country, you can drive vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes and with up to eight passenger seats for up to 12 months from arriving in the UK. However, an international driving licence is not valid proof of driving entitlement in the UK. See www.direct.gov.uk for more.

2. We drive on the left, the rest of Europe drives on the right, so if you’re planning on starting in the UK and crossing over into Europe, remember which side of the road you’re meant to be on!

3. Most of our cars have a manual gearbox, or a stick shift, as they say in the US. So if you’re more comfortable driving an automatic, make sure you ask for one when you book your rental car.

4. Watch out for speed cameras – lots of them. If you see a road sign with a picture of an old-fashioned style camera on it, make sure you don’t get snapped, and fined £60.

5. Look out for zebras on the road. That’s zebras, as in pedestrian crossings, black and white painted stripes on the road which give pedestrians the right of way. They are usually found near schools, shops, churches etc.

6. We have weather – and four seasons of it in one day is not uncommon. So if you’re from sunnier and warmer climes, watch out for black ice, snow, flash floods and low suns. And take it steady…

7. If you are planning on winter driving, get a front wheel drive car or, better still, a 4×4.

8. Indeed, the best way to deal with icy and snow-covered roads is to stay off them. Do you really need to make that journey?

9. Roundabouts are pretty simple really, but we do have rather a lot of them. If you’re unfamiliar with them, the basic rule of thumb – give way to anything already on the roundabout.

10. Tractors are everywhere, especially in some of the more scenic areas you’re likely to want to visit. So stay calm and wait until you can overtake with a clear road ahead. They will usually pull over in lay-bys every so often to let traffic pass.